An Indonesian remake of Justin Powell and David Charbonier’s intense 2021 thriller The Boy Behind the Door, titled Monster, is on its way. Netflix has unveiled images from the twisted thriller ahead of its debut on the streaming service.

In Monster, “After being abducted and taken to a desolate house, a girl sets out to rescue her friend and escape from their malicious kidnapper.”

As of now, Netflix hasn’t set an official date for Monster, only that it’s coming soon. 

Monster is directed by Rako Prijanto and written by Alim Sudio. It stars Sultan Hamonangan, Anantya Kirana, Alex Abbad, and Marsha Timothy.

The Boy Behind the Door follows twelve-year-old Bobby and his best friend, Kevin, as they’re abducted from a park. Bobby wakes alone in a trunk and escapes, only to return when he realizes his best friend is still held captive inside a desolate house. 

The Indonesian remake gender swaps the ill-fated kids embarking on a harrowing cat-and-mouse chase to escape, but, according to an interview with Kapanlagi, Monster also updates the original story by making one of the main characters mute. Meaning, expect very little dialogue in this update. The change will likely make the horror-thriller even more suspenseful, which is saying a lot considering how intense The Boy Behind the Door is.

I wrote in my review of The Boy Behind the Door that “it gives a unique and intense spin on the home invasion. The constant ratcheting of tension leaves you alternating between edge-of-your-seat panic and cringe-worthy repulsion; this thriller isn’t afraid to put its children through absolute hell.”

Check out new images from Monster below, as well as a tense trailer from the film’s premiere at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival last November.

Stay tuned for an official release date as it’s announced, but expect this to arrive on Netflix soon.

Monster. Anantya Kirana as Alana in Monster. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024

Monster. Alex Abbad as Jack in Monster. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2024